Tamper-indicating monetary package

• US 7,982,604 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2008
• Issued: 07/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Original Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Inventors: Garnett, Karen, Votaw, Elizabeth S., Nichols, Michelle, Mon, Felix, Atwood, Todd, Heddleson, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham; Toan N
• Application Number:
  US12/262,532
• Publication Number:
  US 20090309722A1
• Time in Patent Office: 991 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/541, 340/568.1, 340/568.7, 340/571, 340/506
• US Class Current: 340/541
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/405 Establishing or using transaction specific rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/08 by opening, e.g. of door, of window, of drawer, of shutter, of curtain, of blind
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1481 with optical detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2402 Electronic Article Surveillance [EAS], i.e. systems using tags for detecting removal of a tagged item from a secure area, e.g. tags for detecting shoplifting mechanical aspects of the tags, e.g. related to locking E05B73/0017; RFID readers G06K7/00; RFID tags G06K19/00; access control systems G07C9/00; anti-theft control in point of sale systems G07G3/003; security seals G09F3/03

Abstract

A monetary package capable of detecting and communicating tampering is described. The monetary package may comprise a container having a volume configured to hold monetary items such as currency, checks, and negotiable instruments, a sensor configured to detect an opening of the container, a device coupled to the sensor and configured to store data responsive to the sensor detecting the opening of the container, and a transmitter configured to wirelessly send the stored data.

Claims

1. A monetary package, comprising:

a bag having a volume configured to hold monetary items, the bag having a body and a flap moveable with respect to the body;

a sensor configured to detect an opening of the container, the sensor comprising a first plurality of electrically conductive contacts disposed on the outer surface of the body and a second plurality of electrically conductive contacts disposed on the surface of the flap, the first and second plurality of contacts being arranged such that when the flap is in the closed position, each of the first plurality of contacts mates with one of the second plurality of contacts, thereby forming a common electrical path extending continuously through the first and second plurality of contacts when the flap is in the closed position;

a device coupled to the sensor and configured to store data responsive to the sensor detecting an opening of the bag; and

a transmitter configured to wirelessly send the stored data.

2. The monetary package of claim 1, further comprising a receiver configured to wirelessly receive a signal, wherein the transmitter is configured to wirelessly transmit the data responsive to the signal.

3. The monetary package of claim 1, further comprising a receiver configured to wirelessly receive a signal, wherein the transmitter is configured to be powered by the received signal.

4. The monetary package of claim 1, wherein the flap comprises a first plurality of conductive lines, the first plurality of contacts comprises a plurality of pairs of the contacts, and each of the pairs of the first plurality of contacts is electrically coupled together through one of the first plurality of conductive lines.

5. The monetary package of claim 4, wherein the body comprises a second plurality of conductive lines, the second plurality of contacts comprises a plurality of pairs of the contacts, and each of the pairs of the second plurality of contacts is electrically coupled together through one of the second plurality of conductive lines.

6. The monetary package of claim 5, wherein when the flap is in the closed position, all of the first and second pluralities of conductive lines are electrically coupled together to form the electrical path.

7. The monetary package of claim 5, wherein the first and second pluralities of conductive lines comprise lines that are woven into a material of the flap and the body of the bag.

8. The monetary package of claim 1, wherein the first and second pluralities of contacts comprise conductive ink.

9. The monetary package of claim 1, wherein the sensor further comprises a grid of conductive lines that are part of the electrical path when the flap is in the closed position.

10. The monetary package of claim 1, further comprising a dye pack, wherein the monetary package is configured to activate the dye pack responsive to the sensor detecting the opening of the bag.

11. A monetary package, comprising:

a bag having a body and a flap moveable with respect to the body, wherein the flap has a surface that, when in a closed position, faces an outer surface of the body;

a sensor configured to detect an opening of the flap, the sensor comprising a first plurality of electrically conductive contacts disposed on the outer surface of the body and a second plurality of electrically conductive contacts disposed on the surface of the flap, the first and second plurality of contacts being arranged such that when the flap is in the closed position, each of the first plurality of contacts mates with one of the second plurality of contacts, thereby forming a common electrical path extending continuously through the first and second plurality of contacts when the flap is in the closed position;

a radio-frequency identifier (RFID) tag configured to store an identifier and data having a value that depends on whether the sensor has detected that the flap has been opened, and to wirelessly transmit the identifier and the data.

12. The monetary package of claim 11, wherein the flap comprises a first plurality of conductive lines, the first plurality of contacts comprises a plurality of pairs of the contacts, and each of the pairs of the first plurality of contacts is electrically coupled together through one of the first plurality of conductive lines.

13. The monetary package of claim 12, wherein the body comprises a second plurality of conductive lines, the second plurality of contacts comprises a plurality of pairs of the contacts, and each of the pairs of the second plurality of contacts is electrically coupled together through one of the second plurality of conductive lines.

14. The monetary package of claim 11, further comprising a dye pack, wherein the monetary package is configured to activate the dye pack responsive to the sensor detecting the opening of the container.

15. A tamper-detecting device for a monetary package, the tamper-detecting device comprising:

a bag comprising a body and a flap moveable with respect to the body;

a sensor configured to detect an opening of the monetary package, the sensor comprising a first plurality of electrically conductive contacts disposed on the outer surface of the body and a second plurality of electrically conductive contacts disposed on the surface of the flap, the first and second plurality of contacts being arranged such that when the flap is in the closed position, each of the first plurality of contacts mates with one of the second plurality of contacts, thereby forming a common electrical path extending continuously through the first and second plurality of contacts when the flap is in the closed position; and

a device coupled to the sensor and configured to store data responsive to the sensor detecting an opening of the bag.

16. The tamper-detecting device of claim 15, further comprising a receiver configured to wirelessly receive a signal, wherein the transmitter is configured to wirelessly transmit the data responsive to the signal.

17. The tamper-detecting device of claim 15, further comprising a receiver configured to wirelessly receive a signal, wherein the transmitter is configured to be powered by the received signal.

18. The tamper-detecting device of claim 15, wherein the flap comprises a first plurality of conductive lines, the first plurality of contacts comprises a plurality of pairs of the contacts, and each of the pairs of the first plurality of contacts is electrically coupled together through one of the first plurality of conductive lines.

19. The tamper-detecting device of claim 18, wherein the body comprises a second plurality of conductive lines, the second plurality of contacts comprises a plurality of pairs of the contacts, and each of the pairs of the second plurality of contacts is electrically coupled together through one of the second plurality of conductive lines.

20. The monetary package of claim 15, further comprising a dye pack, wherein the monetary package is configured to activate the dye pack responsive to the sensor detecting the opening of the container.